Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 149 Unapproachable
The officers and soldiers' beliefs were swiftly renewed.

His instructions were to cause trouble for the newly opened Yanzhisi, to give this young widow owner from the Hexi border a hard time. At best, he would fine her a large sum of money and ruin her business; at worst, he would arrest her and torture her for a few days.

But what's going on right now?

The presence of both the envoy from Mohe and the lady-in-waiting of the Empress Dowager was a coincidence, or was it intentional?

Does this restaurant have someone backing it up? What's the background of this eatery?

His intuition, honed from years of navigating the lower echelons of officialdom, told him that things weren't so simple. His superiors hadn't simply sent him to intimidate people, nor were they trying to squeeze more money out of the new shop's owner, or feign goodwill towards Young Master Shentu; there was likely some ulterior motive at play.

Regardless of why those diners who shouldn't be disturbed were there, the leading officer was now having second thoughts. He had just gotten into a heated argument and didn't know how to end things.

The officer coughed lightly and softened his tone: "I imagine the master and Young Master Shentu both have their own considerations. I'm merely following orders. I've given all the necessary reminders, and it's not appropriate to be too demanding..."

Tan Huaike, seeing that he had the upper hand, took back his belongings and politely said, "Thank you for your advice, sir."

Seeing that the brothers had almost finished eating and drinking, the leading officer called out to them to wait outside, ostensibly to avoid disturbing their business.

Seeing this, Tan Huaike knew that he had more to say in private, so he wisely stayed behind to make arrangements.

Perhaps fearing that the soldiers would cause trouble, Shen Tu Zhuo, who had been by her side the whole time, peeked out and followed them out of the private room. He could tell that the leader was intimidated and no longer intended to use any harsh methods; at most, it would just involve some financial transactions, which Tan Huai Ke could handle on her own.

Sure enough, once the surroundings were quiet, the officer said, "Nothing else matters, but the taxes levied on merchants from Fengyi County still need to be reported and paid. Since it's inconvenient for you to go back to Fengyi County to verify, paying them here is just as good. I'll issue you a receipt later, so this error can be accounted for."

Having said all that, there was nothing Tan Huaike couldn't understand.

Moreover, they were clearly there to punish her, as one wrong move could have severed all trade routes. In the end, they simply held up her identity to check her identity and lightly punished her, showing leniency out of consideration for her reputation.

Tan Huaike smiled and agreed, "That's only right. We left in a hurry and forgot to pay. It would be best if we could make up for it now, so we don't have to make another trip to Fengyi County."

Just as she was about to go to the accounting office to withdraw the "owed taxes," the door to the private room suddenly opened from the outer room.

King Zhou Wenzong of Qin stepped in, and seemed taken aback when he saw the person inside. He stepped back and said to Shen Tu Zhuo behind him, "Hey? There's someone inside. Did we come to the wrong room? Is this the private room?"

Shentu Zhuo said, "That's right, this is the room we booked earlier. Your Highness, please don't be offended. There was a small misunderstanding earlier, and we had no choice but to use it temporarily. We'll arrange it right away, right, sister-in-law?"

Tan Huaike was genuinely taken aback, but on the surface he replied with practiced ease, "Oh dear, today has been far too hectic, and Your Highness has had a good laugh at us. Pei'er, quickly tidy up, and don't neglect our distinguished guest!"

Zhou Wenzong smiled gently, "How can you say I'm being negligent? It's the opening of a branch today, so a bit of a commotion is good. Not to mention that Madam saved my life in Hexi, I would have come just to have a proper meal of local cuisine." Only then did he look at the embarrassed soldiers over there and asked in confusion, "And who is this?"

The officers and soldiers knelt down and bowed: "Your Highness, we are officials of the Imperial Guard, here to... perform our official duties."

Zhou Wencong nodded: "No need for formalities. Is the official business settled?" The implication was that if it was settled, he could have a place to eat.

The officer hurriedly replied, "It's all done, I was just about to leave. Master, uh, Madam Shentu, I wish your business will prosper and your wealth will flow in."

Not a single penny of the so-called taxes was collected, and the soldiers slipped away as fast as they could. He couldn't help but spit inwardly.

Damn it, what kind of lousy job did he take on?

Not only did he not get a single penny, he almost offended the King of Qin! That king was his savior, a man of immense influence! With such a powerful background, he must have had nothing better to do than provoke Yan Zhisi!
Unlike their arrogant arrival, the officers and soldiers seemed to be avoiding the situation as they left, showing no dissatisfaction and making no mention of punishing their employer.

The diners outside couldn't help but admire Tan Huaike's skill. Judging from the imposing manner of the soldiers earlier, they thought the restaurant's opening was going to be a disaster, and they wouldn't be able to eat the food that hadn't even been served yet. Who would have thought that he would simply lead the people into a private room, say a few words, and thus resolve the situation without any major incident.

So people started whispering among themselves, saying that the owner of this place was definitely not an ordinary young lady from the border, and might be related to some powerful family in Andu.

The person who thought he knew the inside story said, "Isn't this the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shentu family? Back then, Lord Shentu was a high-ranking official. Now, his second son has returned from the border to participate in the imperial examinations, and his widowed wife is running a restaurant to make a living. She is probably being helped by an old friend from her elders."

Others countered: "Hmph, help him out? That Grand Herald Shentu was demoted and sent all the way to the border, never to be reinstated. At that time, not a single colleague pleaded for him. In my opinion, it would be good enough if those people didn't kick him when he was down."

"Huh? I've heard that this owner has someone else backing him..."

"What do you mean, someone else?"

"Shhh."

Tan Huaike invited Zhou Wenzong to sit down, then apologized to him and came out of the private room to look for someone.

Everyone came to her aid, so she naturally had to thank them properly.

She brought Xu Guanbai a food box filled with hot dishes, handed it to her, and said, "Thank you for your patronage, Lady Guanbai. Please also thank your lady for her mercy on my behalf."

Tan Huaike was already extremely grateful that Her Majesty the Empress allowed her to open this shop.

Xu Guanbai smiled at her: "Congratulations on the opening. I was a little dazed when I came here, thinking I was still in Zhangye County." Her gaze shifted to the closed door of the private room, and she said, "The King of Qin is here too."

Tan Huaike sighed, "Yes, it's rare for everyone to gather at Yanzhisi again."

After seeing Xu Guanbai off, Tan Huaike offered Aisha a cup of wine: "Thank you, Your Highness, for helping me out of that predicament."

Aisha raised an eyebrow: "What help are you offering? I'm just here to eat." He pointed to the meat skewers and said, "The seasoning here isn't as good as the one in Zhangye. You should talk to the chef about it."

Tan Huaike agreed, "Next time Your Highness comes, we'll season it separately for you."

Aisha said meaningfully, "Now that this shop is in your hands, all sorts of twists and turns are bound to give people something to talk about. There may be some unpleasant rumors circulating lately. Don't take it to heart. Let those who are careless find their own excuses."

Tan Huaike didn't understand: "Huh? What rumor?"

Aisha glanced at the private room: "You'll find out for yourself by asking."
-
Next chapter: What harm is there in a little fight?